Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer has given the green light to a petition seeking the recall of Demetrios Nicolaides, who serves as the MLA for Calgary-Bow and holds the position of Minister of Education and Childcare. The petition, submitted by Jennifer Yeremiy of Calgary, received approval last week, and the petition process officially started on October 23. Yeremiy now has a 90-day window to gather 16,006 signatures within the electoral division to advance the recall effort.
This marks the first approval of a recall petition application under the new Recall Act, which was introduced by the United Conservative Party government in 2021 and recently amended in July to make the recall threshold more attainable. Yeremiy’s petition cites Nicolaides’ alleged failure to adequately support public education as the primary reason for the recall attempt.
In response, Nicolaides’ office issued a statement emphasizing that the recall is aimed at the UCP government’s policies rather than his individual performance as an MLA. The statement argues that recalls should be reserved for cases involving breaches of public trust or ethical violations, not for differences in political views.
Yeremiy, a former Alberta Party candidate from Calgary-North West, is leading the petition effort as part of a group called AB Resistance, with the goal of triggering early elections by pushing for multiple recall initiatives against government officials. Nicolaides narrowly won re-election in 2023, securing his seat with 49.7% of the vote in a closely contested race.
Political analyst Marc Froese believes the outcome of the petition may hinge on the resolution of the ongoing teachers’ strike and public sentiment towards the UCP government. The recall process requires the support of 60% of voters in the Calgary-Bow district who participated in the last general election, with Yeremiy needing to collect the required signatures by January 21, 2026.
If successful, the petition will lead to a referendum within Calgary-Bow on whether to recall Nicolaides and prompt a byelection. Nicolaides has submitted a formal response to the electoral officer as mandated by the new legislation.